Graduation Day
by EmilyJade91
Summary: Dawn graduates high school in California, unsure of what the future holds.


Disclaimer: I don't own the Baby-Sitter's Club or California Diaries or any characters.

Graduation Day.

My high school experience is about to end.

I'm Dawn Schafer, 17 and about to graduate Vista Academy. There is exactly one week until graduation, and lately, nothing but the future and the past have been on my mind. I remember the day when Mr Dean told us that the eighth graders were getting moved into the high school building. I remember my first day in the high school building. I remember the day when Mary Anne, my step-sister, and my friends from the BSC, graduated SMS in Connecticut. I remember the day when Mrs Winslow died. The day of her funeral. When Ducky graduated. When Jeff graduated middle school. When Gracie started kindergarten. When I turned sixteen. Sunny's disastrous Halloween party of 2001. when I got my licence. All these days have been burned into my brain. Next week, my high school graduation would join them. It was a typical Thursday morning. Dad and Carol were rushing around, trying to get us ready and themselves. Mrs Bruen was just starting her day. Gracie was going on about how much she wanted to spend the day finger painting and napping rather than learning her ABC'S. Jeff, who was in a daze, was trying to eat a bowl of cereal while putting his shoes on. I was trying to find my car keys.

"Has anybody seen my keys?" I asked as I lifted the lounge seats. "I need to go!"

"Here, Dawn honey." Carol said, holding out my keys. "They were next to the toaster."

I ran over and grabbed them. "Thanks Carol. I'll see you all later!" I grabbed my backpack and rushed out the front door. I could see Sunny Winslow, my long time neighbour and best friend, locking her front door. She looked over and waved.

"Good morning!" She called as she walked over. "Are you ready for rehearsal?"

I unlocked my door. "No, it's going to be so boring." Today we were rehearsing our graduation ceremony. Tomorrow we would collect our caps, gowns and rehearse some more. Monday and Tuesday were rehearsals, report card collecting, locker cleaning out and after-school club parties. We had Wednesday off and then Thursday, it's GRADUATION.

"I know that!" Sunny said as we got in. My car was my sixteenth birthday present from dad and Carol. "How long have I been saying that school's boring?"

"Since the eighth grade." 

"That's right." Sunny said. "Are we picking up Mags and Amalia?"

"Certainly are." Maggie Blume and Amalia Vargas are my other two best friends. I've known Maggie since kindergarten but I've known Amalia since the eighth grade. We met the night of the infamous party at Mrs Kueger's house. I pulled up at the curb of Maggie's massive driveway. Maggie's dad is a movie producer and her family is pretty well off, something Maggie hates admitting. Maggie was waiting, looking as tall, thin and blonde as normal.

"Hey guys." She said as she climbed in.

"Hey." Sunny and I replied. "How was your final exam?"

Maggie groaned. "Don't even ask." I don't know why, but Maggie is so tough on herself. She's already been named valedictorian and she usually aces of her exams. "I probably failed the last two questions because I didn't exactly have enough time to work them out properly."

Sunny turned around in her seat. "Maggie, listen to me when I say this, you didn't fail your exam! You know that!"

"But-!"

"No fucking buts about it!"

Maggie closed her mouth and didn't say anything else. I pulled into Royal Lane, where Amalia lived. She was sitting on her fence, swinging her feet. "Holla girlfriends!" She said as she got in next to Maggie. "What's up?"

"Maggie seems to think that she failed her last exam."

"Like shit she did." Amalia said, looking at Maggie. "Until you actually get the piece of paper saying you failed, which it won't, you can't say that you did."

"Hm... Damn..." Maggie said, pulling at her seatbelt. "Is Ducky coming?"

Ducky McCrae was one of our best friends. He graduated two years ago from Vista and had gone off to college at UCLA, so he's not far away. We met Ducky at the infamous party at Ms Krueger's house too. The same party we met Amalia at. Amalia and Ducky had quickly grown to be our closest friends despite we hadn't known them for long. I remembered the party for so many reasons and the beginning of two of my very best friendships and the end of one of my childhood friendships. Jill Henderson, a classmate of mine, used to be one of my best friends until, well, I think a lot of things ended our friendship, including the party. "Yeah, he said he'd be finished with college by then."

"Good, I haven't seen him since spring break."

"I miss the good old times." Amalia said, sighing. "I can't believe we are graduating!"

I pulled into the student car park and stole some junior's park. "I know! Come September, we're going to be in college!" We all got out of the car.

"You all will be in different states, you're all leaving me!" Maggie said dramatically. Maggie was going to UCLA, her dad's Alma mater. I was going to Sarah Lawrence with Sunny and my step-sister, Mary Anne. Amalia was going to the University of New York.

Sunny grabbed Maggie by the shoulders. "Don't worry, Mags. It won't be forever!"

Maggie giggled. "Better not be!"

/

I closed my journal and flexed my hand. I hated hand cramps. Part of Vista's thing was that every kid at the school had to keep a journal from kindergarten to grade 12. I had written almost 50 journals, which I thought I'd never do. Over the last four years, I had doubled the 22 I had written up to grade 8. I guess I've had a lot on my mind for the last couple of years. I thought about Maggie at college. It was her dad's idea to get her to apply to UCLA, something she despised. She did apply on the east coast but Mr Blume put his foot down. It was either UCLA and he'd pay for it or east coast and he wasn't paying for it. I guess with everything that happened in the Blume household over the last couple of years, he wanted his family close by, even if it meant being a hardass. It was still a big shock that Mrs Blume, Maggie's mom, filed for divorce and then went on to marry another movie business man. I'm glad Maggie chose to stay here instead of moving to Las Vegas, especially after I saw her mom's new house. I was happy that I got into Sarah Lawrence, and I was going with my step-sister and close friend, Mary Anne and my best friend, Sunny. Sunny kind of surprised me. She got into honor roll, two years in a row after the first couple of years being disasters. I guess she's making her mom proud by doing good in school and going to college, even if its far away from her dad. I wondered where all the BSC members were going to college. I think I remembered that Claudia was possibly going to NYU – I'd have to ask Mary Anne and tell her to tell Claudia that Amalia was going and that they should meet up. College seemed so scary, but I thought the same thing about high school when I was in the eighth grade.

/

It was Friday afternoon, after school and we were all at my house, trying on our caps and gowns. I was glad our school had chosen a nice, deep purple colour instead of a yuck orange or yellow colour.

"May I say, how we all look dashing and identical." Amalia said, twirling around before we all started laughing.

"How do our parents find us after the ceremony?" Maggie asked.

"I guess they just have to ask every kid in a purple cap and gown, 'excuse me, let me look at your face and let me work out whether or not your my child'." Sunny replied, hitching her gown up. "Mine is a little too long, I must have been wearing my boots when I tried it on."

"This is kind of a sad moment." I said, licking my lips, a silly nervous habit of mine. "This time next year, we'll be finishing our freshman year of college."

Sunny dropped onto the couch. "That is so depressing when you put it like that, Dawn." She said, throwing a cushion at me.

I dodged it. "I'm serious, I'm not trying to be depressing or anything but..."

"It's the truth." Maggie finished my sentence.

"A scary truth." Amalia said.

/

Tuesday night, Mary Anne called. I knew it was kind of important, because usually we didn't get to talk on the phone much and it was 10pm in Stoneybrook. "I got my letter today!" She said after I had said hello. "You know the one we wrote back in the eighth grade?"

"Oh wow! What did it feel like reading it?"

"Creepy and really weird. I mostly wrote about the new house and how I was feeling about my break up with Logan."

I stifled a laugh. Logan Bruno had dated Mary Anne almost all through eighth grade. They had broken up not long before graduation, much to the pleasure of Cokie Mason. "How are you feeling about that now?" I asked.

Mary Anne laughed. "All good!" She said. "Reading it just reminds me of everything back then."

I stared at my photo frames on my chest of drawers. I still had one photo of the BSC framed, the others in photo albums. " It makes me realise how old we are. And how old all the kids we baby sat."

"That reminds me, Mallory totally got busted smoking pot with Benny Ott!"

I gasped. "No way!" I said. "Man, people change so much!"

/

I woke up Thursday Morning. Day of graduation. No dark looming clouds around or Gothic violin music. I got out of bed, had a shower and put the outfit I was wearing underneath my gown on. I walked out to the living room. "There she is!" Carol said as I walked out. She gave me a hug. "How does it feel? Last day ever of high school!"

I sat down at the table, where a plate of toast was sitting. "Good." I said as I took a bite. I was really on the inside, nervous as hell. I couldn't sleep all night and had awful nightmares when I did. It reminded me of when it was our first day in the high school building in the eighth grade. Back then, I was so nervous and didn't want to go to school.

"How does it feel Sunshine?" Dad asked he walked out.

"Great." I said as I felt my toast sit on the bottom of my stomach. "I'm kind of excited."

Carol had a huge grin on her face. "Good because we have something for you." She said, opening the desk drawer and pulling out a box wrapped up in yellow paper. "This is from Gracie and Jeff." She said as she handed it to me.

"I picked it out, Dawnie!" Gracie exclaimed hopping off her chair and running to me. "All me!" She said.

I laughed as I opened the wrapping paper. "Oh, pretty." I said as I examined the snow globe in my hand. It had a wave with a little person riding a surfboard with little palm trees in it. "Thank you." I said, giving Gracie a hug.

She smiled at me. "It's for your room for college." She said.

"It will be the first thing I put in there." I said, putting it on the table.

Carol handed me another box. This one was a lot smaller. "This is from your father and I." She said.

I looked at Carol. She looked like she was about to cry. After everything we had been through, I had become to appreciate her so much. I opened the wrapping and lift the lid. Inside was a white-gold necklace with a tiny heart with a diamond in it. I sniffed. I couldn't cry. Today was about being happy and celebrating. I got up and gave them both a hug. "Thank you." I said.

"Here, let me put it on you." Dad said, taking it off me.

"It's 7:30 and already your crying." Jeff said as he shuffled out of the hallway. "Typical females." He said as he sat down at the table.

"Aw, thanks jeffy-poo for the present." I said, ruffled his hair.

Jeff grunted in response, too busy shoving his face with food.

I picked up my snow globe. "I better get ready. I've got to go soon."

"We'll see you at the school, honey." Carol said as she began to get Gracie ready for school.

I made my way back to my room and put the snow globe next to my picture frames. I brushed my hair, teeth, put on my shoes and grabbed my gown and cap. This would be the last time I drove to school. Picked Sunny up on the way. After all these years, today was the last day. I breathed in and grabbed my purse. I ran outside to see Sunny standing by my car. "Ready?" I said as I unlocked my door.

Sunny stared at me. "I was born ready!" She screamed.

/

An hour and half later, the seniors of Vista School's class of 2001 was standing outside the auditorium, waiting for everyone else to sit down. We were in rows, alphabetical order, which meant Amalia and Sunny weren't far behind me. I turned around to see Amalia staring at Dakota Wilde as she touched up her foundation and Sunny bouncing on around. We heard Mr Dean get up and welcome everyone inside and then we heard the first bits of the band playing. We started moving and I heard clapping, I felt my insides turn. I was about to either pass out or scream. I walked inside, camera's were flashing, people were yelling out. I gave a little wave, I had no clue to who. I sat down and the speeches began. Mr Dean spoke first and then a few other teachers. Awards were given out, Maggie took a few and then she gave her speech. As soon as she finished her last word, I stood up and started clapping. The rest of the class stood up and clapped as well. We received our diplomas and then, Mr Dean said, "Congratulations, Class of 2001!" We stood up and threw our caps in the air. I didn't care where mine went, I went rushing towards Sunny, Amalia and Maggie.

Sunny screamed. "Rulers!" She yelled, raising her hand in the air like we had done the eighth grade.

I stuck mine back up. "Hell yes!" I screamed back, she grabbed my arm and was made our way through the crowd outside. We found my parents, Jeff, Gracie, Isabel (Amalia's older sister), Amalia's parents, Maggie's dad and what looked like his newest girlfriend, Zeke (Maggie's younger brother, Sunny's dad and her aunt Morgan.

"Congratulations." Dad said as he gave me a hug. Carol gave me a hug as well followed by Gracie.

"Okay, photo time!" Carol said, reaching into her purse and pulling out her camera. "Graduates!"

Maggie, Sunny, Amalia and I posed. Click. Dad, Carol, Gracie, Jeff and I posed. Click. Sunny, her aunt Morgan and her dad. Click. Maggie and her dad. Click. Amalia and her family. "Are we missing something?" I heard a voice ask from behind me.

I turned around. There stood Ducky with a big smile on his face. I screamed. "Ducky!" I ran and hugged him.

"Ducky!" I heard Sunny yell. I felt her join us in a hug, followed by Maggie and Amalia.

"That's right, I have all my girls all over me." He said as we pulled away. "How does it feel to be a graduated high school student?"

I paused. It dawned on me. I had graduated high school. I had survived it. I smiled. "It feels great!"


End file.
